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by Liz Franz

If you subscribe to W magazine and/or have the February 2011 issue handy, I encourage you to step away from my blog and go devour the article on page 90, which shares the title of one of my favorite novels from childhood: A Wrinkle In Time. Just don’t forget to come back, please.

If you’re not, or don’t, here’s the gist: the always clever and amusing Sloane Crosley—author of “I Was Told There’d Be Cake” and “How Did You Get This Number”—weighs in on Japanese skin care company SK-II’s discovery that the actual age women really start to lose our looks is 35.09.

Yeah, you read that right.

But if you need the information run by you again in order for it to register, SK-II says they’ve got scientific evidence that our beauty goes into rapid deterioration mode about a month after the day we turn 35.

It seems we have a Skin Power Quotient (SPQ), which indicates our skin’s ability to bounce back from various forms of stress. To spare you from all the science-speak, I’ll simplify—skin in its 20s has an SPQ of 3 (usually) while skin in its 40s has an SPQ of 2. The point at which we, on average, go from a 3 to a 2 is age 35.09, so they say. The scientists at SK-II, I mean.

You can’t see my eyes rolling as I write, so I’ll come right out and say it: scientific as its supporting evidence may or may not be (scare tactic marketing is best taken with a grain of salt, I always say) I maintain a steadfast position with regard to this wholly morbid revelation.

I think it’s ridiculous.

For what it’s worth, I’m actually a huge fan of SK-II’s products—and keeping in mind the fact I’ve been privileged enough to try just about every beauty brand under the sun, that’s saying something. SK-II is widely known for their results, which is why women like their formulas so much. Even Cate Blanchett swears by SK-II, and I am inclined to accept beauty advice from Cate Blanchett. But honestly, I’m a proponent of cutting-edge skin care in all its forms. I’d have no qualms looking you dead in the eye and telling you that, no, your drug store eye cream is not on par with those offered by certain medical and prestige brands, and that, yes, retinol products will change your skin. That’s not what this is about, though.

For eons, men have been deemed by society the gracefully aging ones, developing a “distinguished” look as the years pass, growing all the more attractive and charming with every newly grey (excuse me, silver) hair and emerging laugh line.

Women, on the other hand, are plagued with the prospect of a shelf-life—for lack of a less barbaric way of putting it—and conditioned to treasure our youth while lusting after the much-more-youthful youth of days gone by. Oh, to be 21 again! And now this? A time-sensitive warning? Seriously?

Now, I admit I may not be in the best place to run my mouth, as I’ve still got four years and 18 days until my dewy good looks will purportedly spoil like a jug of sour milk. But I believe that taking care of yourself—exercising, eating healthily, having fun, committing to an appropriate skin care routine and giving in to the cosmetic surgery itch, if that’s your thing—pays its dividends in many ways, looking great being only one of them. Take Demi Moore. She’s always been gorgeous, and it seems like she just keeps getting hotter. She’s clearly had work done. She also married a 27 year old at the age of 42, which, if you ask me, warrants an emphatic high five. But I digress.

What I mean to convey is simple.

If there’s no merit to what the scientists at SK-II say, then, well, we can all carry on with our lives. Similarly, if there is any merit to what the scientists at SK-II say … we can still all carry on with our lives. What difference does it make? While you’re worrying about it, consider the fact that many people believe the world will come to an end in 2012. Maybe it will. Nobody knows for sure. It could end tomorrow!

So, should we all just run around like wild, gluttonous animals, rack up mountains of credit card debt, and commit to making heaps of fun/bad decisions we’d surely regret, should we live to see the light of day in 2013? No, I don’t think so. Should we do our best to live our lives to the fullest every day, though, just in case? Probably.  Likewise, we should neither subscribe to this shelf-life nonsense, living in fear of our own personal apocalypse and believing every piece of marketing hype thrown our way, nor throw our hands up in defeat and give up on our looks. We should just keep on keepin’ on.

With that in mind, I leave you, lovely readers, with this: have a good time, and do whatever you need to do to take care of your face and body. Not because you’re afraid, not because some man in a lab coat in Japan says you must, not even because you feel it may boost your chances of marrying a man 15 years your junior. Take care of yourself because it makes you happy.

Clark Russell, Dominique Schurman, Nadia Alexandria and Rami Kashou at the unveiling

Fashion’s Night Out in L.A. featured a myriad of memorable moments (think Ferris Wheel on Rodeo Drive), but Rami Kashoú (that’s right, one of our fave Project Runway finalists) stole the show at the Beverly Center when he unveiled an Origami Paper Couture Gown made entirely out of Papyrus greeting cards and paper goods. The talented designer’s created tons of to-die-for dresses for red carpet celebs from Jessica Alba to Penelope Cruz, and this groundbreaking design was no different. Modeled by Nadia Alexandria who had her hair and makeup done by celeb stylist Clark Russell, the dramatic, fairytale-like flamenco gown exuded a sense of life and celebration and was “the first of many illustrious displays of Fashion on Paper the public can anticipate in upcoming months,” said Papyrus CEO Dominique Schurman. This unprecedented alliance between Rami and Papyrus became an instant FNO favorite when thousands of FNO attendees lined up to view the dress and pick up specially signed Papyrus-made limited edition prints of the design from Rami himself. Read on for our interview with the acclaimed designer:

How did this partnership with Papyrus come about?

I got a call from Dominique one day asking me if I would be interested in working with her on this project. I felt honored to have the opportunity to work with Papyrus products on such a creative project as I have always been a fan of their cards and merchandise.

Where did you start from in your vision of creating the origami dress, and what was the process like?

After meeting with the creative team at Papyrus I went home with my mind racing with design ideas. I wanted to create a cerebral design full of color and life. I began sketching and testing some of their paper materials in my studio and one design idea lead to another. With time as I was working on the design it gradated from an evening gown to a collage of images and origami art piece. I used their cards and and cut out images from them, creating flounces, lined with their beautiful gift wrapping paper. I used their colorful envelope linings and created origami flowers, butterflies and hummingbirds. I also applied their sparkling gift bags and other materials all around the gown that gave the design a life and a 3-dimensional angle. In the end I pieced together an origami flamenco one-shoulder vibrant evening gown full of detail and explosive in color.

What was your inspiration for the gown?

My inspiration was an origami 3-dimensional flamenco gown that is full of color and detail, a gown made entirely of Papyrus paper products that was fairy tale like and that encouraged the viewer to imagine without limitation.

How long did it take to make the dress?

3 weeks. Lots of sewing and cutting!

You’re most known for your beautiful draping, but with origami and paper, that’s a bit more difficult; did that play a factor in your creation of this gown?

I love to drape, but I also love to construct and create architectural shapes and lines. The origami was the perfect skill to learn and apply on such a creative and artistic project, so that was an instant inspiration for me.

What was the most difficult part of creating this gown?

As you can see the skirt has over 20 flounces made entirely out of Papyrus paper collage. Each flounce alone took me one hour to make, from start to finish. The most challenging part of this process was sewing the skirt part of the gown. The paper is very delicate, and for those who know sewing, a machine usually doesn’t allow a lot of space to maneuver such a large garment. It was difficult to control and slide all the paper through the needle, but with a lot of patience and many hours later, the hard work paid off.

What was your favorite part about making the dress?

I enjoyed very much the freedom to try new ideas and not plan so much. It was a free flowing process that I think surprised me in the end result. I also enjoyed the fact that the Papyrus team trusted my creative intuition and gave me complete freedom to translate their products into my design.

Any fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the making of the dress or fitting Nadia into it?

Well many of the Papyrus cards and bags have an endless amount of glitter. Therefore by the end of every workday I would go home completely covered in glitter, as though I was at some type of rave or parade. My friends used to make fun of me. Nadia was a pleasure to work with. She is beautiful and made the fitting process so easy, not to mention how proudly she showcased the gown at the event!

On Project Runway, the judges praised you for your design for the challenge where you had to create a dress made out of candy wrappers. How was your approach to this dress different/did this remind you of that challenge in any way?

It certainly was some kind of  ”déjà vu.” The best way to answer this question is it was like the Hershey’s challenge times 20! I think this gown is much more advanced and complicated than the design for the Hershey’s challenge.

Are there any other materials you haven’t worked with yet that you’d like to use?

I would like to work with vinyl and rubber.

What are you currently working on?

Currently I am working on a dreamy and angelic wedding gown for Papyrus also made out of their paper products. I am also designing dance costumes for the Helios Dance Theatre. Also I am designing wedding gowns for soon-to-be bride clients. My collection also.

Any new Fall trends you’re looking forward to?

Super constructed clothes.

If you could design a greeting card for Papyrus, what would it look like/say?

It would be an inspired design/sewing kit for those who love fashion.

Did you get a chance to enjoy any of the other festivities at FNO?

I had such a blast at the Papyrus event that I stayed there the whole time

[photo credit: Gina Blair]

Teen Vogue Fashion Show

New York City was abuzz with all things fashion and beauty this past Friday night for the annual celebration of fabulosity: Fashion’s Night Out. From SoHo to 59^th Street, sidewalks and subways were crammed with style fans working their hottest ensembles from their fall wardrobes as they popped into the myriad venues hosting parties, meet-and-greets, sales, and runway shows. And my lucky self got to check some out!

Shenae Grimes after her DJ set at the Teen Vogue Fashion Show

My first stop was the Teen Vogue and ASOS.com’s Block Party in the West Village. The “Sex and the City block” (where Carrie Bradshaw “lived”) was bustling with teenaged girls handing out free Fiji water, Terra Chips, and Arizona Iced Tea. A gaggle of DIY-ers bedazzled FNO-goers’ handbags. The DJ pumped retro and new tunes like Fleetwood Mac and La Roux while people stopped into local shops before snapping photos with the evening’s host, 90210’s Shenae Grimes, who, just after 7pm, announced the Teen Vogue & ASOS.com fashion show, at which point the energy on the street was nearly palpabale.

The show featured fresh face after fresh face strutting their stuff in fall knits and fluttery minis along a tented street-level runway dotted with floodlights. Fun had obviously been the models’ instruction as they blew kisses, danced, and actually smiled! Understated make-up like natural lips, bright eyes, and rosy cheeks were the beauty rules of the runway.

Warren-Tricomi Salon

Hair created by stylist Matt Fugate of Sally Hershberger Downtown was long and loose or tied up into quirky updos (think twisty braids and gravity-defying near-Snooki-level bouffants). Some ‘dos were topped with soft crocheted caps. Fugate describes the concept for the show as “young [and] flirty…undone and effortlessly cool.” To attain his signature (and totally on-trend) deconstructed braids, he used Sally Hershberger Salon Texture Blast. “It’s a super lightweight formula that helps to add body to the hair,” Fugate explains. “We separated the hair into two fishtail braids and then deconstructed them and piled them on top of the head to create a more modern, feminine look.” Fugate created the bouffants by a ton of backcombing and Shu Uemura Sheer Lacquer hairspray.

Then it was time to dash uptown to the iconic Plaza Hotel in time to score a free hair consultation with the uber-chic stylists at the Warren-Tricomi Salon. The salon itself is a study in classic/cutting-edge, mirrored and marbled and packed with products like Kérastase Paris and their signature brand of eponymous hair-care products.

Alas, they were packing up their kits when I got there, but I was handed a glass of wine and checked out the intricate braidwork with kicky wisps and make-up touch-ups that were wrapping up as the crowd prepared for a free show in the Plaza’s Palm Court by soul singer Corrine Bailey Rae. The star of the night was also styled by the folks at Warren-Tricomi, and she looked radiant with a springy halo of curls and shimmery lips.

Salon owner Joel Warren mingled with the dressed-to-the-hilt guests (think sky-high caged stiletto booties and body-hugging mini-dresses in jewel tones and basic black) as they clamored for cocktails at the single circular bar. Hair was either long and loose or twisted into casual topknots.

Corrine Bailey Rae took to the stage and wowed us with her buttery voice—but I couldn’t stay, I had to get back downtown!

Rachel Zoe at the Piperlime Pop-Up

When I arrived, the Piperlime Pop-Up Store on Mercer Street was the scene of a near-riot as throngs of Project Runway and Rachel Zoe fans waited (that’s a kind word) in the street to catch a glimpse inside. To chants of “Rachel! Rachel!” I elbowed my way past exiting reality-show contestants (Jennifer Carroll from Season 6 of Top Chef among them) and was finally granted a golden ticket. Inside, the ever-fabulous Ms. Zoe greeted fans, signed autographs, and posed for snaps. Her trademark cascading waves had been traded for a blown-out, slicked-back look that complemented her glittery beaded top, skinny (what else?) black cargo pants, and black stacked wedges.  Red lips and longer-than-you eyelashes completed her look.

All the Project Runway contestants had come and left by the time I got inside, but there was plenty to see. The clothes, featuring Rachel’s picks for fall, were a mixture of vintage-inspired fur vests, buckled-bedecked boots, and soft, beaded blouses—all to die for. As I checked out the merchandise with my vodka and lime I spied Rachel’s husband Rodger on the phone, then chatting with autograph seekers. I also spied and deeply coveted a pair of Pour La Victorie gold snakeskin booties—a Rachel Zoe pick—and I have just one word for them: Want!

After nearly dying of desire for a completely new wardrobe styled personally by Rachel Zoe, the ingestion of several delightful cocktails, and surviving the mob scene in SoHo, I packed it in and went home to shop online. Those gold booties will be mine!

[photos taken by Megan Gilbert]

The CMA Music Festival on September 1^st gathered many talented country performers but I found myself too busy looking at the simple and yet innovative styles to take in the combination of fiddles and electric guitars. My favorite looks came from Carrie Underwood, Joe Don Rooney from Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift who flashed some new trends but mostly went for simple styles, creating classic looks that never seem to bore us.

Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood performed her hit single “Cowboy Casanova,” while wearing a pair of simple Daisy Duke folded jean shorts, a sheer light gray tank top with a white “wife beater” underneath, and absolutely adorable cowboy boots. Although this outfit seems very simple, I was intrigued by the combination of trends and classics. Sheer tops are a new trend that allow layering in warmer weather; this top had a sequin design, another trend this fall season. Cowboy boots are a country classic but this pair stood out to me. The boots had a simple shape but were accentuated by their two tone brown coloring and silver chain with blue gem wrapped around the heel of the boot. The gem was such a simple touch and yet so captivating.  And don’t get me started on her LC side braid – Way to go Carrie!

Joe Don Rooney

The lead guitarist and harmony singer Joe Don Rooney wore a simple outfit that appeared both classic and rocker when he and his band mates performed for screaming fans. Rooney wore a purple button down shirt with a classic gray vest and matching gray jeans. Although this seems very straightforward he added personal touches that added some trend elements and personal style to his look. One included the newly popular long chain necklace; his was a feather charm gold chain. His other accessory included two blue bandanas that were tied at the end of his sleeves, folded to ¾ length, adding a rocker feel to his classic look. And the swept side bangs just topped it all.

Taylor Swift

Taylor always comes onstage wearing a girly dress that showcases her innocent look. And yet again, she did not disappoint. When performing her new single “Mine” she wore a sun yellow dress with what I like to refer to as Cinderella straps. The straps had two pieces, one staying on the shoulder while the other fell to the side. To add a little rock edge to her look, she wore light brown cowboy boots. Following the girly look, she used that peach lip gloss just before summer’s end and we must move on to darker shades.

Josie with Center of Hope Patients

Recently, there’s nothing Josie Maran touches which doesn’t seem inspired by her heart of gold. Now the eco-friendly super model, (that’s right, her insides rival her out for beauty) has launched her natural volume argan oil GOGO mascara. GOGO  stands for “get one, give one,” and when you buy one of Josie’s new mascaras, one goes to a woman who is either living with cancer or who has survived it.

Last week, Josie hosted an event at LA’s City of Hope where she gave patients “confidence building healthy makeovers” using Josie Maran products. What Josie seems to understand is going through cancer drains a person through a lot of things- things so big-  health, wealth, career, that the loss of self-esteem often gets laid to the wayside.

Of course, treatment for cancer is also incredibly fiscally draining– so getting  a free beauty product when your finances are going to everything but is sort of genius, as well as incredibly thoughtful.

After the first 5,000 purchases, $1 from the sale of each GOGO mascara will be donated to City of Hope’s Women’s Cancers Program for a minimum donation $25,000. The GOGO campaign runs August 2010 thru August 2012.

Buy one today– make yourself beautiful inside and out by helping a woman out there who could use a beauty boost as well.

Julia and Javier

by Erica Blumenthal

How did I get so lucky to attend the world premiere of Eat Pray Love in NYC? Let’s get straight to the miraculous point: I brushed shoulders with Julia Roberts last night, a serious OMG moment. She’s luminous. Her body and hair, perfect. Her wardrobe, elegant and classic. She wore a black Stella McCartney jacket and black, short Diane Von Furstenberg
shorts and gold Coomi bangles.

Before that, the night was off to a shaky start because my dear friend Kelley, who held my ticket in, was caught in a brutal battle with NYC traffic. So for a while I loitered around the Ziegfeld Theater in the heat and humidity, all dressed up with a place to go but no way in. Then Elizabeth Gilbert, the book’s author and film’s reason d’etre,  emerged in a long ruffled floral frock looking red carpet ready and all  smiles. As much as I tried to keep my excitement in check, that was the moment the night kicked into high gear. Then my ravishing date finally arrived and the night was ready to get started!

Author Elizabeth Gilbert

The movie itself is wonderful– fans of the book will feel indulged. Naturally, some things have changed with its screen adaptation, but I felt they stayed true to Liz Gilbert‘s emotions– from feeling depleted and lost to gaining control of her life and feeling blissfully happy. The male supporting performances by Billy Crudup, James Franco, Javier Bardem, and Richard Jenkins are all incredible.

But enough about the cast. All I can think about after this movie is Italian food. If I could drop everything and go to Italy tomorrow to become a professional pasta and pizza eater I would happily say arrivederci.

After the movie we walked to the Metropolitan Club on 60th St and 5th Avenue for the  celebratory afterparty. Flower pedals everywhere, mountains of pasta and desert, and a quickly moving open bar. We scoped the scene and went into a back room with tables reserved for Roberts, Bardem, Murphy, Jenkins, etc etc. We saw Javier Bardem at his table eating pasta. He is absolutely stunning and watching him eat for a moment was heavenly. In real life, he’s all that more amazing. We kept exploring and stopped dead in our tracks at the sight of Eddie Vedder, who penned a song for the film. Kelley and I found a corner to talk by a grand staircase and I looked up to see Julia Roberts and her husband, Danny Moder. Again, radiant perfection. That’s when our shoulder brush happened. She mingled in the main room and ordered a drink from a very delighted bartender before making her way to her table. There were tons of Food Network personalities in the room and we saw Gail Simmons which all seemed very appropriate given the film’s intense adoration of food.

After hanging around for a couple more glasses of wine and passed appetizers– like mini pizzas (Italy!), samosas (India!), and shrimp fritters (Bali! I think) we sailed out of the party. And in distinctly non-moviestar fashion, I took the subway home, blasting Florence
and the Machine‘s “Dog Days are Over” (the song from the trailer)  all the way to my apartment door.

Eat Pray Love is in theaters this weekend. Do yourself a favor and “let yourself go.”



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Read the official Harper Collins Book Description Here:

Scarlett at Comic-Con

by Alison Zeidman

Despite the protests of some die-hard comics fans, in recent years San Diego Comic-Con has turned into an event for more than strictly comic book-related showcases, events, and panel discussions.  The convention has become a choice venue for promoting movies and television shows like Glee and True Blood, and in 2010 Comic-Con was also the hot event for stars to debut their newly chopped hair.

Scarlett Johansson was in attendance for the official announcement of 2012′s The Avengers, in which she’ll be reprising her Iron Man 2 role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow.  Marvel Comics fans were thrilled to see the full lineup for the movie (also starring Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel Jackson), and fashionistas everywhere flipped for Scarlett’s amazing new haircut!

Scarlett at MTV Movie Awards

Scarlett’s sophisticated, sexy new look totally exudes power and confidence—exactly the qualities she needs to be a member of the world’s greatest superhero team.  It’s a piece-y long bob, and for the convention Scarlett had it styled into fantastic messy-on-purpose waves.  It’s quite possibly the greatest “oh, I wake up looking this fabulous” hairstyle ever created, and an invigorating change from the long bombshell curls (like she wore to this year’s MTV Movie Awards) that we’re used to seeing on her.

Scarlett may have gotten more attention and hair-envy than any other celebrity at San Diego Comic-Con, but she was by no means alone in premiering a big hair change on the convention red carpet.  Jena Malone and Emily Browning, two of the stars in the soon-to-hit-theaters Suckerpunch (also starring Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish), showed up with even shorter hair!

Jena at Comic-Con

Jena’s been experimenting with short hair for a while, but this look was still quite a change for her.  The shorter styles we’ve seen on Jena in the past have gotten pretty daring, but at Comic-Con she looked prim and demure.  Her new hair is still a little unconventional, but definitely much more tame.

Emily at Comic-Con

Emily went for a more dramatic change than either Scarlett or Jena, and the result is absolutely stunning.  Both the new cut and the new reddish-blonde color are extremely flattering.  The style really showcases her lovely doe eyes and gorgeous cheekbones, and the color illuminates her beautifully pale skin.

Scarlett, Jena, and Emily are always beautiful, but now with these new haircuts, they’ve definitely picked up some major style points.  Shorter hair suits all three of these girls, and hopefully we’ll see them with these looks again soon!